Help protect your files and your work by backing them up.
The basic file backup and restore features in Windows Vista make it easier for you to keep your data and your computer safe from user error, hardware failure, and other problems. In the Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista, you can automate the entire backup process using a simple wizard so you'll never have to worry about forgetting to back up your work.
The Backup and Restore Center gives you one place to manage all backup-related features.
Windows Vista helps you easily back up the files on your PC when and where you choose to back them up, with the convenience of automated scheduling. For ease of use and to prevent confusion, programs and system files are not included in the file backup. They can be separately restored by reinstallation or by using either system restore points or Complete PC Backup and Restore, a feature available in the Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista.
You no longer have to remember to periodically back up your data. You can now use a simple wizard to schedule when and where you want your data to be backed up, and Windows Vista will take care of the rest.
Simple scheduling wizard.
Previously backed-up versions of files use only a bare minimum of disk space. If only a small part of a file changes (such as one slide in a presentation), only that portion gets tracked and saved.
Of course, backup is only as useful as the process you use to recover your work, and Windows Vista makes this a cinch. A recovery wizard helps you select the files or folders to restore and prompts you for the backup storage medium you used. Then it restores your files.
Saying goodbye to your old PC? You can restore all your files right to your new computer. The restore feature can even create your user account on the new PC if it's not already there.
Shadow Copy tracks your every change.
Have you ever accidentally saved over a file you were working on? Accidental file deletion or modification is a common cause of data loss. The Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista include a useful innovation to help you protect your data: Shadow Copy. This feature automatically creates point-in-time copies of files as you work, so you can quickly and easily retrieve versions of a document you may have accidentally deleted.
System Restore was introduced in Windows XP to enable people to restore their computers to an earlier state without losing data (for example, Microsoft Office Word documents, graphics files, or e-mail messages). You don't have to worry about taking periodic system snapshots—System Restore automatically creates easily identifiable restore points. You can also manually create and name restore points at any time.
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